Thursday, April 4, 2013

NFL announces schedule for 2013 exhibition games

The league released the official 2013 preseason schedule Thursday, and many of the AFC East teams will be facing similar foes.

The games are scheduled throughout August, with each team locked in for at least four games. (photo: nflfan18)

The Miami Dolphins will have the advantage of a fifth exhibition warm-up, as they will take on the Dallas Cowboys in the league’s annual Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio on Aug. 4.
Miami will continue its annual tradition of facing off against the other two teams from the Sunshine State, traveling to Jacksonville to face the Jaguars in Week 1 and hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3. The Fins will also face two teams from the AFC South division, playing the Houston Texans in Week 2 and the New Orleans Saints in Week 4.

The New England Patriots will also face Tampa Bay this preseason in their only nationally-televised matchup, at 8 p.m. on Aug. 16. The Pats will continue their Week 4 tradition of facing the New York Giants — this year in Foxborough — and they’ll also face another NFC East team in the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1. Week 3 will be in Detroit to face the Lions, who will see a lot of the AFC East this preseason.

Detroit also hosts the New York Jets in Week 1, Gang Green’s only game away from East Rutherford. New York will continue its yearly traditions with the Giants and Eagles, facing each in Week 3 and 4, respectively. Newly-acquired quarterback David Garrard will get a shot at his former team in Week 2, as the team will host Jacksonville.

The Buffalo Bills will get its shot at the Lions in Week 4, the 12th such year that the team has faced Detroit in the final week of the preseason. Buffalo will face two other teams they were defeated by last August, meeting the Minnesota Vikings and the Washington Redskins in Week 2 and 3, respectively. The Bills’ opening game will be against the Colts in Indy, another loss from the 2012 regular season the team would like to forget.

The exact dates and times of the majority of games will be announced at a later date, and the regular season schedule will be released April 16.